Planning today for water tomorrow.
She came to the U.S. at age five from India. Inspired by her father’s work at the California Department of Water Resources, she decided to come to EBMUD. “I saw that he was helping society with his work -- and that’s exactly what I wanted to do.”
Priya started as a Junior Civil Engineer and progressed to Senior Civil Engineer, laying the foundation for important decisions about water resources for EBMUD.
It takes a team of diverse thinkers, she says, to end up with great solutions. “I love passionate debate, and believe that by inviting that type of participation, we all become more responsible for the outcome. Our whole team is very invested in this work, and in EBMUD’s success.” Their commitment to excellence and understanding of the bigger picture shows in their deliverables and the high caliber of their work products. In the wake of the Oroville Dam disaster, Priya and her team are even more focused on dam safety. They’re working with consultants on detailed assessments of EBMUD’s Pardee and Camanche dams and fulfilling legislative requirements. These include enhancing emergency preparedness with hydrologic and hydraulic analysis to update inundation maps for EBMUD’s 23 reservoirs.
The team works with other workgroups to set the framework for how EBMUD addresses water shortages and plans to meet the East Bay’s need for water into the future.
“It’s a family culture, a culture with great sense of humor. And we don’t believe in silos. When a new employee comes on board, we’re clear: it’s WE, not I. We have one mission.”